Seohyun waited for her parents in the beautiful dress that Yu Min picked for her. She was a simple girl so she didn’t have that many accessories on her. Just a pair of earrings and a locket, one that her father gave her for her 18th birthday. Seohyun impatiently waited for her parents and the Jungs to arrive and while doing so, she tinkered with the locket, opening and closing it repeatedly. The locket was very vintage, the way she liked it. It was brown with some intricate designs on it and it opened, having some space for a picture or two. Seohyun would rather not put a picture inside because to her it meant keeping that person in her heart forever. The thing was, she didn’t believe that she could love someone for the rest of her life.

The two cars arrived, one carrying the Seo couple and the other carrying the Jungs. Seohyun straightened up and tried to rub the lower part of her eyes so as not to show her parents that she had been crying. Her face appeared to be paler than usual and she was afraid that this might cause her parents to worry. Seohyun stood up and opened the door for them. Jung Soon and Myung Jib were the first to enter.

“Good evening mother, father.” Seohyun bowed down. Myung Jib noticed how beautiful her daughter looked and complimented her.

“You look stunning tonight, Seohyun. I guess the day off really did work for you.” Seohyun gave her mother a small smile before running into her for an embrace. Myung Jib was taken aback by her blunt action but accepted it nonetheless.

“We have some guests over. Try extending some of that courtesy to them.” Jung Soon sternly said. Seohyun faced the Jungs and saw them. They were three as well, the mother, the father, and the son. The mother looked beautiful but not more beautiful than Seohyun’s own mother. The father was alright looking, pretty old to be honest. The son, well, he looked like one of those boys Seohyun would see on the streets or on TV. Those rich heirs who loved to get drunk and get laid. Yep, he looked like them. If she wasn’t mistaken maybe he was that guy. Seohyun and the boy’s eyes met. She felt nothing, he felt lust. Seohyun felt a chill run down her spine because of the stare and walked back to her parents.

“Seohyun, I want you to meet the Jungs. This is Jung Won Hyuk.” Joon Soo said, pertaining to the father. Seohyun smiled, bowed and extended her hand for a handshake.

“This one right here is Lee Min Sung.” he said pertaining to the mother. Seohyun extended the same courtesy by shaking her hand and bowing.

“This is their handsome young son, Jung Yonghwa.” Yonghwa was a young man of the same age or nearly the same age as Seohyun so she thought twice about treating him with honor. She decided to just extend her hand and wait for him to shake it. Yonghwa took her by surprise when he took her hand and kissed it. Seohyun jerked and pulled her hand away from him, cowering close to her mother. Yonghwa smirked and poked his inner cheek with his tongue.

“Mom, what is this?” Seohyun asked between gritted teeth.

“You’ll get used to it. He’s a nice boy, I’m telling you.” Myung Jib reassured her daughter who looked so traumatized.

“Well what are we waiting for? Let’s have dinner then!” Joon Soo clapped his hands and immediately, the butlers and maids came out with their entrees and set them on the table. The Seos sat together and so did the Jungs. Seohyun was unlucky enough to be sitting across Yonghwa who wouldn’t stop stairng and smirking at her. That made the atmosphere awkward for the maiden.

“Alright so we are gathered here for a very important reason.” Seo Joon Soo said.

“Yes. My good frend Joon Soo and I have agreed upon this long, long ago. And that is the reason why we brought our son Yonghwa.” Won Hyuk said. Yonghwa smirked at Seohyun again, who seemed to be avoiding his stare.

“Children, we do not have very long to live. Time flies by fast and before you know it, we’ll be six feet under.” Seohyun acted out for the first time at the dinner table and dropped her chopsticks.

“Do not say that, daddy! You aren’t going to die soon!” she cried out. The maids and butlers got worried and moreso did the families. Yonghwa snickered under his breath and said,

“Whiney princess.” Seohyun overheard this but didn’t know how to react. One thing’s for sure, his comment really made her mad and made her lose her appetitie.

“Sit down, Seo Joo Hyun! You’re embarrassing yourself!” Myung Jib demanded. Seohyun followed her mother’s orders, not taking her angry gaze off of her father. She was paler than ever and in order to cool her hot head down, she drank glass after glass of water.

“I’m very sorry for that. Our daughter is very sick and she sometimes has the tendency to act up.” Seohyun heard her father’s words and felt like verbally attacking him again but something stopped her from doing so.

“Well that is very understandable. I know how girls can get emotional at times and especially when you’re sick. We understand that.” Won Hyuk said.

“We in fact like your daughter very much. She has conviction, too much even for a demure looking girl like her.” Min Sung said, eyeing the sensitive Seohyun. Seohyun just toyed around with her food, tossing the broccoli with her fork.

“Why aren’t you eating? Come on don’t act up on us. It’s embarrassing!” Myung Jib whispered to her daughter. Seohyun refused to listen to her mother and remained in the same depressed and humiliated position. The Jungs just stared at her but Yonghwa gazed at her. He thought long and hard about whether she would make a good wife.

Well she’s kind of feisty. Quiet, shy, seems docile. Perfect. She’s the ideal wife. I think that if she cooperates, we’re going to have a beautiful marriage together. Yonghwa smirked evilly to himself. Seohyun refused to look at him but he paid no mind to her indifference. The cocky young heir decided to make the first move.

“Hey Seohyun. You’re really pretty.” he complimented her with a hint of malice in the tone of his voice.

“Shut up. I don’t want to have anything to do with you.” Seohyun rebelliously replied. The Jungs were taken by surprise and Myung Jib had to hit her daughter on the arm.

“Seo Joo Hyun! Where are your manners!” Seohyun felt the tears coming and stood up.

“Ask him!” she pointed a finger at Yonghwa and stormed out of the dining room. She couldn’t take the pressure that her parents were putting her under as well as the harrassment that Yonghwa was giving her. Seohyun ran up the stairs with tears in her eyes, threatening to fall down and opened the door to her room. There, she threw herself on the bed and cried while hugging a pillow tightly.

Down at the dining room, confusion and tension were rising. The Jungs were greatly surprised by Seohyun’s attitude while the Seos were just appalled. Never had their daughter reacted that way in her life. Seohyun was never rude and if she didn’t like something she would just keep it to herself. But this was a different case. She must really hate the moment.

“I am very sorry for the inconvenience, Mr. Jung. Our daughter is not like that, I’m telling you. She is a nice girl, very polite. Seohyun is not like that.” Myung Jib apologized excessively. The Jungs had an unconvinced look on their faces.

“She is sick and is on medication. I think that’s what caused her to act out.” Joon Soo begged, hoping to win their approval. Won Hyuk exhaled and spoke up.

“Well I believe that first impressions do last but I am willing to give your daughter a second chance.” Myung Jib could shriek with joy upon hearing this but tried to contain herself.

“However, please promise me that she will display proper behavior the next time around.” the head of the Jungs said.

“Yes. Yes Mr. Jung. We promise.” Joon Soo said with a smile. Won Hyuk nodded his head in approval.

“We do have one question with regards to our daughter.” Myung Jib said. “How did you find her?”

“Well we think that Seohyun is a beautiful person inside and out. We do believe that she is a well-mannered and disciplined person. Maybe she just wasn’t in the mood but really, she is. We like her.” Min Sung said with a smile.

“Do you think that we could meet again and discuss this properly?” Joon Soo asked.

“Definitely. Please set a date and let us know.” The two families patched their differences and began to eat like one big family, except for the fact that Seohyun was up in her room sulking not just in sadness but in fear. She knew what was coming next.

After the dinner, the Jungs left happy and satisfied. At the doorstep, they took time to thank the Seos.

“Thank you so much for that wonderful dinner. The food was splendid and so were you. We are definitely looking forward to meeting you again.” Min Sung said.

“I’m glad to hear that.” Joon Soo said. “But I would like to hear from Yonghwa.” Yonghwa looked up with a smug look on his face and said,

“Thank you so much Mr. Seo. I enjoyed the food and everything. Ya’ll were hospitable. Thanks a lot. I would like to get to know your daughter again sometime.”

“Sorry for the way she acted. She’s on medication.” Myung Jib apologized to the young lad, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s no big deal, Mrs. S.” Yonghwa shrugged coolly like it was really no big deal. “I understand her situation. It’s hard being sick.” Myung Jib arched her eyebrow as if trying to ask him if he was sure about what he was saying.

“Yes. That is right.” Myung Jib said. “Anyways, you folks best be on your way. It’s getting late. Thank you once again.”

“Thank you. We hope to see you again.” the Jungs waved goodbye and left the place. Myung Jib closed and locked the door with an angry look on her face.

Seohyun, who was trying to sleep in her room, knew what was coming and felt scared the minute she heard the front door close. The young heiress buried herself in the sheets and pretended to be asleep so her mother wouldn’t confront her.

“That little brat embarrassed us in front of one of the richest families in Korea? What’ll become of us?! We will be exposed! This must be stopped! This mustn’t happen again!” Myung Jib furiously searched the storage room for her bullwhip, a possession used by her father to discipline her when she was a child. Myung Jib carried this all the way to the second floor. Seohyun heard heavy footsteps coming her way and it made her heart race faster. Banging came on the door and in fear, Seohyun covered her face with the pillow as if it could protect her.

“OPEN THIS DOOR, YOUNG LADY! OPEN IT RIGHT NOW!” Seohyun was too scared to move so she just pretended to be asleep. Myung Jib noticed that her daughter wasn’t responding so she decided to take action herself. The actress banged the door and kicked it open. Seohyun jolted out of her bed and leapt for the door, landing badly on the floor. Myung Jib caught her daughter and cracked the whip.

“You rude child! Did I not teach you anything when you were growing up?! You have shamed me and your father! Now what are they going to say about us?!?!” she whipped Seohyun’s back, making her scream and cry.

“Mother, I’m sorry!” she begged.

“You should’ve known better than to stand and scream in the presence of others!” she cracked her whip once more and hit her at the back of her neck. Seohyun yelped.

“Somebody help me please!” she cried louder and louder. Her father heard her cries from where he was but refused to come to her aid, thinking that it served her right. The maids and butlers wanted to help her but they feared the vicious Myung Jib. Who knew this beautiful actress turned into a monster when angered?

Since she suffered from multiple sclerosis, Seohyun felt frequent migranes and headaches and because of the tension of the situation and the pain she was feeling on her body, her head started to hurt.
“Ouch. Mom, please. Stop it. I’m sorry.” she cried, twitching on the floor with her hands on her head, trying to curb the pain but it just got worse. Myung Jib continued to torture her daughter until she grew tired and threw the whip on the floor, leaving the beautiful Seohyun on the floor, in pain and crying.

“Learn your lesson from this!” Myung Jib exited the room and slammed the door. Seohyun sat up with her hair dishevelled and her back wounded though not bleeding. The whipping and her multiple sclerosis weakened her, preventing her from standing up properly. Seohyun tried to crawl back into bed but her knees gave up on her and made her sit back down on the floor. Sobbing and gasping for air, she crawled to the wall and rested with her back against it.

“Seohyun, are you alright?” Yu Min slowly entered her room and came to her aid. Seohyun’s heart jumped with joy when she saw her maid friend come in.

“Yu Min! Oh. It’s horrible!” Seohyun sobbed. Yu Min knelt down and embraced her.

“OUCH!” Seohyun squealed. Yu Min must’ve run her hands on Seohyun’s wounds.

“What happened to you?”

“Mother whipped me. But please do not tell anyone.” she pleaded with tears in her eyes. Her head started to ache and this time, she didn’t hesitate to tell Yu Min.

“Please carry me to the bed. My head. It hurts.” Yu Min tried with all her might to lift the dainty heiress and place her carefully on the bed. She was successful in this.

“Would you like a glass of water?” asked Yu Min. Seohyun nodded quickly. Yu Min dashed to the kitchen to pour her master a cold glass of water and dashed right back to her room.

“Thank you.” Seohyun took her pills and the pain slowly subsided. Seohyun felt drowsy but despite her weakened state, she had one request.

“What is it, Seohyun?”

“I want my ballerina box.” The ballerina box was a toy that Seohyun had ever since she was a little girl. It was a glittery white music box that had a small ballerina dancing to the tune when opened. It was her favorite toy and when she was a kid, she’d play it every night before going to bed. Yu Min searched her drawer for it and found it. Seohyun reached for it and wound it up. The lock was a beautiful heart that only needed flicking for it to be opened. Seohyun flicked the heart and out came the ballerina, dancing ‘round and round.

“I would like a moment alone, please.” she requested. Yu Min bowed down and left the room. Seohyun was alone in the dark listening to the beautiful melody that the music box played. It reminded her of her beautiful childhood, back when days weren’t complicated and when everyday was summer and spring. Seohyun cried at the sound coming from the beautiful music box. The warm tears that fell from her eyes landed on the sheets. Her sobs could be heared from the neighboring rooms which wrenched the hearts of those who were in them. The young heiress felt her head hurt because of the crying, prompting her to close the music box and sleep.

At the Jung household, they were still trying to absorb what they had just witnessed in the Seo household.

“I can’t believe their daughter acts that way. Did they not teach her anything?” Min Sung wondered.

“Maybe their daughter has some sort of psychological disorder.”

“That’s not impossible.” Min Sung replied. “I mean, judging by her mannerisms, I can tell that their heiress is a troubled one. She is definitely not in the right state of mind.” Min Sung said. Yonghwa overheard their conversation and leapt in the defense of the girl he adored and said,

“Mom, I don’t care if she’s nuts. To me she’s beautiful and I want her to be my wife.” Min Sung grew worried at her son’s predicament. She wanted her son to be married off to a headstrong, independent woman but since Yonghwa had the say, there was nothing she could do about it.

“Well, if she’s really the girl you want then I guess there’s nothing we can do about it.” Won Hyuk said. They overly spoiled their child leading him to act conceited and obnoxious at times.

“Just arrange a second meeting with her. I’m sure she’ll work out fine next time around.” Won Hyuk and Min Sung agreed to arrange a second meeting between the wealthy playboy and the old-fashioned maiden.

Jung Yonghwa. Handsome. Rich. Talented. Spoiled. He had everything he could possibly want from the fine clothes to the fast cars. His parents, the owners of one of the biggest steel companies in Korea, provided him with so many things from an early age, spoiling him basically and raising him to think that he could have whatever he wanted if he asked for it. That mentality stuck with him til he reached this age and now, he was living life on the fast lane. Yonghwa hung out at the hippest bars, spent nights at the finest hotels with the hottest women in Seoul. The newest gadgets were his and the latest fashion as well. Yonghwa was never out of style. His good looks captivated girls all over the world and the paparazzi. One thing he was never photographed without was a woman. Being a young playboy, he dated girl after girl, usually those he’d pick up at bars. Yonghwa never had a stable relationship because in all honesty, he didn’t know what love was. All he knew about women was that they were only good for one night stands. And that’s what he thought Seohyun was good for. He didn’t know that this commitment they were setting him up for was a lifelong one and not just for him to get through the drunken nights.

Whenever she felt lonely, Seohyun would go to the music room and play the piano. To her, piano playing was a way to release stress. She did the same thing this time and made her way to that room. The room that she had loved ever since she was a child. Still in her pink nightgown, Seohyun headed to the music room and quietly opened the door. There, the grand piano was calling her to its side. Seohyun walked slowly to it but before she could even sit down, she noticed the picture again.

“You again.” she said. Seohyun walked towards the picture of the young boy and removed it from the frame. The sepia tone was really beautiful and kept on playing on her eyes.

“I wonder who you could be. But whoever you are, I like you. Maybe not as a brother but as a relative. Let me play a song for you.” Seohyun placed the frame on top of the piano. She sat on the bench and lifted the cover, stretching her fingers to prepare them for piano playing.

[song: “Requiem” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]

She played the song beautifully with all her heart. She could almost sway to the gentle melody that the piano was making and she was sure that if the picture were alive, it would sway along with her. However, in the middle of playing, Seohyun felt her tears rattling in her eyes. She tried to fight them off, wanting to finish the piece but they couldn’t help but drip down. One tear rolled down her cheek slowly while the other dripped on the black key. Seohyun hurriedly wiped them and cleaned her keyboard. Deciding that she had played enough, she put the cover back on and dashed out of the room with the picture frame in her hand. The boy was still smiling a mysterious smile.

In her room, Seohyun cried til the sun shone. The thought of her being married off to someone she didn’t know and love burdened her and hurt her so much, especially when it was her own parents insisting on it. They were even siding with the Jungs. What she detested the most was the way Yonghwa interacted with her. He had malice in him and being a very prim and proper lady, she hated anything that had malice but what she hated more was being forced to love. Seohyun didn’t want to love anyone.
Seohyun had school that morning so she had to get up early and fix herself. It was only 6:30 in the morning and her classes don’t start until 8 but she was already up. She had just taken a shower and was now in the process of dressing up. The uniform that hung on her wardrobe composed of a blue jacket with the school’s logo as a patch on the right , a white long-sleeved polo inside the jacket, a pleated checkered red skirt, knee high socks, and black school shoes that had two inch heels and a ribbon at the tip. Seohyun dried her hair and proceeded with her undergarments, followed by her uniform. In less than 15 minutes, she was all dressed up. But her hair was still messy so she took her time to dry it with a hairdryer until it was brown and straight. Seohyun took a good look at herself in the mirror. Her face was very beautiful but she didn’t see it that way. For a young girl of 18 who had everything a young lady could ever wish for, she didn’t feel so confident and as a matter of fact, felt very inferior to other girls. Though she appreciated her traditional and strict upbringing, Seohyun did wish that she looked and acted like the other heiresses and celebrities on TV. Of course, she was 18 and insecure, what would you expect. Her beauty, which was highly revered by other people, wasn’t enough for her and was even inexistent in her opinion.

My face is too pale, my eyes have this weird, red thing underneath, my hair is too lifeless. I’m not perfect. Seohyun thought in front of the mirror. But I guess that’s all I can ever be. Not enough.

These were the thoughts of a perfectly insecure person who was very uncomfortable in her own skin. But in reality, Seohyun was very beautiful and these “flaws” that she kept on pointing out made her shine even brighter. A lot of people actually envied her long, straight hair. A lot of celebrities would kill to have her perfectly pale skin, and her height was the object of envy of many young ladies. To others she may seem perfect but to Seohyun, she was just another girl…

Since it was still too early and Seohyun had basically nothing to do while waiting, she decided to lie flat on her stomach in bed and sketch a portrait. Sketching was another way for her to vent out her frustrations, especially when she could hold it in no longer. Seohyun grabbed a pencil and her sketchpad and began to draw. at first then evolving into shapes and they began to have form. Seohyun was actually drawing a portrait of a young lady sitting on the shore, looking far away into the sea. The sea was vast and a ship seemed to be sailing towards the girl. Her hair was blowing in the wind and the shading gave it an even more dramatic feel. Seohyun was an emotional person and things like sentimental sketches, sentimental piano pieces, and sentimental objects moved her to tears and once again, she was on the verge of crying. It was these moments that she felt so alone. Whenever she felt alone, she would get the ballerina music box, wind it up and play it. Listen to the music that soothed her soul. Before the tears could fall, Seohyun scrambled for the music box, wound it up and opened it. Out came the pretty little ballerina, moving around in circles to the tune of the sweet melody. Seohyun took a deep breath and immersed herself in its beautiful sound. The young heiress closed her eyes and let her mind wander, waned far into her own world where peace and harmony thrived and hostility never existed. So immersed was she in this world that she fell asleep with the music box resting in her hands, constantly playing its sweet lullaby. Seohyun fell asleep.

At around 7:30 am, Seohyun jolted awake and realized that she had school that day. She quickly closed the music box, put it aside and ran with her backpack down the stairs. Without breakfast and realizing that her parents had left, she frantically looked for the butler to bring her to school.

“Mr. Chung, please drive me to school. I believe my parents have already left.” she said. Mr. Chung was ever so happy to give her his service. He led the socialite to the limousine and drove her all the way to her exclusive girls’ school.

Seohyun made it in record time, 7:51 with 9 minutes to spare.

“Thanks.” she smiled at Mr. Chung and stepped out of the car, rushing all the way to the campus. Her classroom wasn’t very far away from the drop-off gate so it took her only a few seconds to a minute to get to her classroom. Once there, she calmly set her things down and relaxed, taking several deep breaths to clear her mind.

Classes were about to start.